Filip Geeraert, CEO and president of Deceuninck North America, will retire on July 1, 2020, after 20 years with the company. While he looks forward to enjoying retirement in Colorado with his wife, and spending time with his father, siblings, and other family members in Belgium, Geeraert won’t disappear completely, as he has been appointed as Chairman of the Board for Deceuninck North America.

Filip Geeraert

Francis Van Eeckhout, chief executive officer of Deceuninck Group, the parent company of Deceuninck North America, said a global search for Mr. Geeraert’s replacement has concluded, and a formal announcement will be made as soon as possible.

“This year marks my 20th year with Deceuninck North America, and without a doubt, it became my second home over the past two decades. My work has always energized me, and I am proud of what my team and I accomplished,” said Geeraert. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to lead Deceuninck North America during a period of time that presented many opportunities, and we effectively capitalized on them to generate terrific returns. I have been blessed working with people who brought out the best in me. I am delighted to pass the leadership to a well-respected executive who has held positions in multiple continents, including the U.S. The future is indeed bright, and I look forward to sharing it with our customers, our employees and the Board in the years to come.”

Geeraert called [DWM] in advance of the official announcement today, and it was evident he was ecstatic about his new role.

“I will have the best of both worlds and I look forward to finding time to also give back to society.”

He adds that it’s a strange time to retire, in the midst of no travel and no trade shows taking place, thus there is no chance to say goodbye in person to the colleagues he has worked with all these years. But don’t worry, there just may be something planned for 2021 …

For the full announcement, click here.